Misao's Search for Love
by Akuma-Chibi
Summary: Misao has confessed her feelings for Aoshi,only for him to turn a cold shoulder to her feelings,with an equally cold explanation.Now,Misao has gone off in hopes that she can forget her feelings for her Leader and maybe...she can attain something more...
1. Brushed Aside

**Misao's Search for Love!**

**Summary: Misao has confessed her feelings for Aoshi, only for him to turn a cold to shoulder her feelings, with an equally cold explanation? Now, Misao has gone off in hopes that she can forget her feelings for her Leader and maybe...she can attain something more...then just a clear mind...**

**Anime: Rurouni Kenshin**

**Couple: Misao/Soujiro**

**Genre: Romance/Adventure/Historical**

**Rated: M (''^o^'')**

**-x-x-x-**

**Brushed Aside**

**-x-x-x-**

Misao's heart thumped from beneath the light purple fabric of her ninja uniform. She closed her eyes tightly before they opened with a look of determination burning brightly within them.

"Lord Aoshi?" She called through her ex-leaders door to his room.

"Leader?" Kuro called from the end of the hall.

"Kuro, what is it?"

"Oh, I was about to ask you the same thing." She looked at the door Misao stood in front of. "Aoshi left earlier this morning...with Sir Himura."

"Eh!" She ran past Kuro who turned in time to see Misao race around the corner. "HOW COULD LORD AOSHI LEAVE ME BEHIND...AGAIIIIIN!"

"...so energetic," Kuro smiled.

-x-x-x-

Misao raced down the street, occasionally jumping building to building, home to home in hopes of finding the scar crossed cheek of a certain red haired Battousai that stole her Lord Aoshi away from her this morning.

"HIMUUURAAAA!"

The yells of course, could be heard by both Aoshi and Kenshin who were walking back to the Aoi-Ya.

"It seems Miss Misao has discovered you missing."

"..."

"You should go before she terrorizes the villagers."

"Or finds you," Aoshi said with a smirk.

Kenshin chuckled, "Yes, I'd much rather avoid Miss Misao's wrath, much like you would, I'm sure."

"..."

"I will talk with you later." Kenshin left Aoshi who sighed before vanishing with a single placement of his foot.

-x-x-x-

Misao looked up at the blue sky that was slowly fading into a deep and rather dreary gray. "...what...you think you've got it better." She commented to the sky, glaring coldly at it.

"I wouldn't let someone hear you talking to yourself like that."

She shot up and smiled brightly. "Lord Aoshi!" She ran forward and embraced her ex-leader.

"You were causing problems for everyone in the village with all your shouting."

"I was not! Lord Aoshi, why are you always out with Himura!"

"Because..." He paused...he didn't know why, he just enjoyed the other man's company. "It isn't any of you concern."

"...mmm..." She stared suspiciously at him. "Lord Aoshi...I wanted a word with you."

"..."

"Lord Aoshi, I am no longer a child..."

He knew what was coming, "...Misao..."

"Let me finish..."

"..."

"I have followed you loyally and I would without hesitation, die to protect you. I believe, anyone would do the same for the person that they...that they admired and loved. Right?" She paused before continuing, "I want to be the one you rely on, Lord Aoshi. I want to be the one who stands by your side...let me be-"

"Misao!"

She stopped,

"One day... you will find someone you truly love and will always love, but for now...that time hasn't come..."

Her eyes widened.

"_No..."_

"Your feelings...will never be recognized...by me."

"_Don't..."_ Tears began to swell deep within her eyes.

"Misao..."

"No..." Her voice became steadier.

"I want you to leave."

Her eyes widened. _'Lord Aoshi...'_

"I want you to travel this world..."

'_Lord Aoshi, I never should have said anything...'_

"The way Himura did..."

'_I never...'_

"The way Shishio did..."

'_Should have ruined...'_

"The way I did..."

'_What I already had!'_ Tears finally fell from her eyes as Aoshi turned from her and walked away.

The sky had darkened considerably and when she no longer could see him, the sky thundered.

"What..." She looked up, tears in her eyes. "You think you look any better?"

The sky rumbled loudly again and rain began to downfall all around her. "..." Misao cried loudly, she screamed and yelled, kicking anything she could and punching anything that was close enough to hit. She did this for about forty minutes. _"...I'm pathetic..."_ She let her bleeding fists fall limp to her hand, the rain washed the blood away as much as possible, but it did little for the pain.

She walked through the forest, her outfit drenched, her hair drenched and her fists bleeding. She didn't care...she picked up the speed and took off in a run.

All she could do was run...run from her family, friends and home...run from Aoshi...

**-x-x-x-**

**(Next Day)**

Twenty Four hours...twenty four hours had passed yet...it hadn't stopped raining, and Misao hadn't stopped running. She had however...slowed down considerably.

'_End...'_

**-Cough-Cough-Cough-**

'_End...'_

Her eyes were rimmed red, her skin was beginning to tint light pale blue...her lips already a berry blue shade with a light red tint.

"**END ALREADY!"** She cried before breaking out into another fit of coughs. _"Just...Just finish me..."_

Misao fell forward; never feeling her numb form hit the hard ground. Her body was so cold now; she felt nothing but the sting of the rain against her skin.

Her eyes stared ahead; looking at the rain hit every blade of grass. _'I can't believe I would do this...'_ She frowned. _'I'm so childish...'_ She closed her eyes, flashbacks of her training with Aoshi and the group invaded her mind. Hanya always stood behind her. Always there incase she fell. _'They would be ashamed if they saw me now. How disappointing...I am...'_ She felt the rain lighten against her skin..._'I can't die like this...'_ She forced herself up onto her knees. _'Not...like this!'_ She stood up straight, tired and weak. She forced herself to move, and continued to force herself to move until she saw a house in the middle of the forest. "...Hiko...Sa―ma~..." She collapsed in front of the Manslayers Teacher home.

**-x-x-x-**

Hiko was used to the oddities happening around him by now...but those oddities had nothing to do with the unconscious girl lying conked out on his futon. Normally he wouldn't mind a girl in his futon...but this young lady was too young and to temperamental. Actually, at the moment, she was just too sick. He had undressed her and redressed her in a warm Yukata he normally would wear to bed, making sure to tie it shut, lest a demon lie in wake when she woke to it half on.

"I always land myself in such unpredictable situations."

He looked her over and noted her swelling hands. Grabbing a few bandages, he neatly and tightly wrapped both her hands all the way past her wrists. He draped a near by towel over her hair and tucked it beneath her head, hoping to dry it quicker this way.

"Causing me trouble like this."

"_...Aoshi..."_

"...?"

"_...I'm sorry..."_

"Sleep talking..." He glanced at her face and lifted his finger to her cheek in time to catch a tear. "I am curious though..."

Hiko looked outside where the rain only just stopped around the time he found the girl unconscious in front of his home. For now...he would allow her a place to stay...until he understood more about what happened.

**-x-x-x-**

**Me: This was a short chapter, but they will get much longer in the future. Please Read and Review! Please Regard Me Kindly! ^_^''**


	2. Pushed Along

**Misao's Search for Love!**

**Summary: Misao has confessed her feelings for Aoshi, only for him to turn a cold to shoulder her feelings, with an equally cold explanation? Now, Misao has gone off in hopes that she can forget her feelings for her Leader and maybe...she can attain something more...then just a clear mind...**

**Anime: Rurouni Kenshin**

**Couple: Misao/Soujiro**

**Genre: Romance/Adventure/Historical**

**Rated: M (''^o^'')**

**-x-x-x-**

**Pushed Along**

**-x-x-x-**

Hiko watched the young girl as she began to stir from her sleep. Her skin tone had returned to its normal light creamy shade. Her lips were no longer that berry blue color, but that petal pink that they always were. "You're awake,"

Her eyes snapped open and she sat up and looked straight at the source of sound.

Hiko watched her carefully, noticed her sidelong look as she recounted the undertakings of the night before. Her eyes widened and tears began forming in her eyes. _"Lord...A-Aoshi..."_ She buried her scarred fists in her eyes as she tried to stop her tears. _"No...no...no, no, no..."_ She clenched a fist tightly before slamming it on the nearest thing next to her, "NO!"

"...Misao...right?" He asked, "That is your name, right?"

"_...y-yes,"_ She looked him in the eyes, "H-Hiko-Sama, I'm sorry to burden you. I'll leave now."

"Nonsense, tell me what happened to put you in turmoil."

"...I...confessed my feelings...to Lord Aoshi."

"I see, and judging by the waterworks...he doesn't feel the same."

"NO! he told me that he would never recognize my feelings towards him! Told me...to leave..."

"Why?"

"He said, he wanted me to travel the world, like Kenshin, Shishio and he did."

"So...what's stopping you from traveling. I thought, no matter what, you would always do as your _'Lord Aoshi'_ told you to. Or was that all talk?"

"Of course it wasn't! I would give my life if it meant he'd be happy!"

"Thankfully," Hiko took a sip of his Saki, "It's not your life he wants."

"_...no...It's not."_ She tried hard to keep her tears at bay.

Hiko sighed, "Look, I think he's right. You need to get out. Keeping you cooped up in the Aoi-Ya wasn't a smart idea in the first place. Anyone would go crazy there."

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING CRAZY OLD MAN!"

"Hm? Did I say that?" He poured another cup of Saki and took a drink, "At least you aren't about to cry,"

"Huh?" She reached up and felt that her eyes no longer held tears.

"Go, travel, and find something you're missing."

"Find something...I'm missing?" She frowned, "What am I missing?"

"Only you can figure that out." Once more he finished his Saki before filling his cup again. "It's not my job,"

"But how am I supposed to find...what I'm missing...if I don't know what I'm missing?"

"One of life's little questions. The answer is something that you can only find if you look."

'_Something that I can only find if I look...'_ She sighed, "Did you do that?"

"...I found what I was missing, on my journey."

"What were you missing?"

"Reason,"

"Reason!"

"Yes, I found Kenshin, and he became my reason. He was the reason I drew my blade, and the reason I went back. I had left him, but something called for me to go back. I found him on a field of graves that he had dug, for the bandits who had tried to kill him, the slavers who had tried to sell him and the slaves who had protected him. He was the reason I chose to pass on my teachings. I would train him in the Hiten Mitsurugi Style and hope that my teachings would be used to protect and help people. I was lucky that I got such a stupid idealistic apprentice...don't tell him I said that...I'll deny it."

She smiled, "You love him, don't you. You can't hide it,"

He stopped himself from spitting out perfectly good Saki, instead he opted for choking and causing a painful burning sensation to pass through his throat. "I can still kill you." He said, pouring another cup.

"He's like your son,"

He threw his head back and drank it in one swig, trying hard to fight the flush of his cheeks. "My blade isn't even an arms length away,"

"You would even leave your mountain for him, just like when you helped us at the village."

He stared at her critically, "...you should go on that life changing journey now, I think now's a good time. You know, discover yourself, and learn stuff, life lessons and things." He took his Saki jug and placed it to his lips before tilting his head back and drinking from the jug, the cup now lay forgotten on the table.

"Your excessive drinking suddenly only proves that I'm right!"

His left eye twitched as he placed the jug down gently on the table. _'What the hell was I thinking? I should have left her outside,'_ He sighed, "When you are feeling better, I advise you follow your leader's orders, it'll be good for you." He stood, "I'll make something to eat,"

"..." She stared at her hands as he left her there. She picked up the Saki jug and made to pour her a cup, frowning when nothing but a few drips came out. "...he drank it all..." She sighed before standing, she wasn't dressed in her clothes, walking outside, she saw them drying out in the wind. She felt and found them dry, pulling them down, she placed the Saki jug down in order to change. _'I'll be back in a little bit, old man.'_ She tightened her sash around her hips and grabbed the Saki Jug before taking off down the mountain in a run. Her hair was a mess; her skin was covered in incisions from running blindly through the forest angrily. Her fists were wrapped, no doubt thanks to Hiko, and her face and neck had been cleaned, witch led her to believe that Hiko had used a wet cloth on her when he'd taken her inside, probably to calm a fever before it got bad.

Misao made her way into town and towards the Aoi-Ya. She saw Aoshi standing there talking with Kenshin and Kaoru and frowned. Moving to the side, she hid so none saw them, though, she saw Kenshin's eyes dart towards her, so he obviously knew she was there.

"Kenshin, are you sure you won't be coming with us?"

"Sorry, I'd still like to stay here a while longer. Your Dojo need's you Miss. Kaoru, so you should return to Tokyo, that you should. I'm positive that Megumi is having her hands full with her patients. Now that Shishio is no longer a threat, you don't have a reason to stay away from the Dojo. I will return soon though, that I will."

"_That you will..."_ Kaoru sighed, "Alright then Kenshin, you're right. I have no reason to worry now that Shishio is no longer a threat. Me and Yahiko will return back home, come back when your ready. You deserve a break too, and this place is a good place to relax. However...you better make sure to come back Kenshin! We're your friends too, and you need to at least come back to visit!" She said loudly, waving her wooden Bokken around and almost hitting Kenshin.

"Ah! Yes, of course!" Kenshin laughed, his eyes watching the wooden sword carefully as it swung particularly close to his nose.

"...good." She stepped back and turned towards the Aoi-Ya, "Yahiko~!"

"Yeah?"

"Come on, we're leaving! Sanousuke is already back in Tokyo with that Saitou guy, I don't trust Sanousuke alone in my dojo, and if Saitou goes there and the two get into a fight...my poor home...and Megumi has her patients to deal with. We've been away from the dojo too long. Let's...go home," She smiled.

"YEAH!" Yahiko ran out to her side, "I can try some of those attacks I saw during the battle with Shishio's men! I wonder if any of the Hiten Mitsurugi attacks would work with a wooden sword, I mean, technically, Kenshin uses a reverse blade, and a wooden sword doesn't even have a blade, so...anyone with a stick could do the Hiten Mitsurugi...if they tried..." He laughed.

"Eh~!" Kenshin made to catch Yahiko when a small chuckle escaped Aoshi.

Misao's eyes widened; she couldn't remember a day in her life that he'd even smiled, much less chuckled or laughed. _"Lord...Aoshi..."_

_**"Your feelings...will never be recognized...by me."**_

"...what's so funny?" Kenshin smiled.

"He's right; the Hiten Mitsurugi style can be accomplished with a stick."

"That is not a nice thing to say, that it isn't." Kenshin pouted.

Misao couldn't believe it. She knew Kenshin was amazing, but...She shook her head and her eyes burned with new found determination. "Hiko is right! I need to go on a Life Changing Journey!" She pumped her fist in the air with a yell and jumped up onto the wall where Kenshin and Aoshi could clearly see her. Aoshi stared in hidden surprise but Kenshin merely smiled.

"If it isn't Misao, where have you been?"

"Don't play stupid Kenshin! You knew I was there the entire time!" She pointed at him accusingly, her other hand on her hip as she stood dominatingly, towering the two with a burning fire behind her.

"She's burning with energy, that she is. Nothing like the girl you described last night."

"I am not that same, weak, and fragile girl!"

"Not at all;" Kenshin said as he stepped forward, "I see a strong and powerful woman standing before me, that I do."

"I'm going on that journey Lord Aoshi; I'll find what it is I'm missing!"

"What it is..." Aoshi stared curiously, "...your missing?"

"Let her finish," Kenshin scolded,

"Thank you Kenshin," She said sweetly, "I'm going to go in search of what I'm missing, my Life Changing Journey. I won't return, until I find what it is I need. What I'm missing, until I know what it is, until I've found it, I will _not_ return. It could take months, it'll probably take years, I could turn around and find it now; who knows how long my journey will take, but I know one thing, if you never see me again...then..." She smiled, "I never found what I was missing." She jumped off the wall and walked past the two, turning to Kenshin she smiled, "I did enjoy traveling with you Kenshin, take care of my family here." Then turning to Aoshi, she fought back her tears and smiled, lunging forward, she wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him. "Thank you,"

Aoshi didn't know how to react, so he just placed his hands on her shoulders until she finally pulled back.

"You took care of me when I had no family, and you gave me a family in the Aoi-Ya and Oniwaban; knowingly or unknowingly, thank you." She left to the Aoi-Ya and called out softly, "Omasu~! Do we have any really good Saki?"

Kenshin's eyes widened, "EH? M-Misao!"

"Hm?" She looked over her shoulder as Osamu cautiously brought her a large jug of top notch Saki.

"You shouldn't drink, that you shouldn't!"

"I'm not, it's for Hiko-Sama," She smiled, "He could have left me for dead,"

Aoshi's breath hitched in his throat, "What do you mean?"

"Oh...I was bleeding in the rain, freezing and out cold when he found me. I'm fine now, but I owe it to him to continue my life until I find what it is I'm missing; like he said, my Life Changing Journey."

"So that where you got the name for traveling..." Aoshi sighed, "When are you leaving?"

"After we eat."

"I-is he cooking?"

"Yes,"

"Oh..." Kenshin forced a smile, "Good luck...on your journey I mean!"

She smiled, taking the Saki, she traded jugs and took off back through town and up the mountain side with the large jug of Saki. Hiko was frowning when she finally got back, "Sorry, I...wanted to get you something...to say, thank you, and I'm sorry."

He looked surprised but smiled when she held out the large Saki jug. "Why are you saying sorry?"

"I'm a hindrance, I know that...but...you put up with me anyways. So...shall we eat?"

"It's not Kenshin's..."

"Huh?" She looked at him curiously.

"It's not Kenshin's cooking. It's bitter, and probably too salty."

"...that's fine, it can't be any worse Beshimi's cooking. Everything was always too spicy that you never tasted food, your tongue just burnt."

"..." He sat down and produced a bowl of rice and two fish.

"I decided I'll start my journey, after I eat...I plan to sneak back into the Aoi-Ya, see if I can get past everyone, grab some things and hightail it out of Kyoto!" She took a bite of the food, "I suppose while I'm on this _journey_ I can pick up some new skills...learn how to use a sword, instead of always depending on martial arts and my throwing daggers. My stealth is good, could be better, and my speed is great, but Kenshin proved I'm not the worlds fastest." She took another bite, "I'll get stronger, faster and improve myself. I'll become better than what I am." She munched her rice down.

"...you have a strong drive, don't lose that. It could cost you."

"Hm?" She looked up at him, "How?"

"If you lose the will to fight, continue or otherwise, you could fade. Nothing you have to worry about unless you plan on giving up on your search for what you're missing."

"...how will I know I've found it?"

"..." Hiko took a sip of the new Saki and smiled, "When you find it, you'll know. It may take you a while, but you'll know. It may be after you have left it, you'll feel a pull the way I did, it's different for everyone, but you'll know."

She smiled and clapped her hands together, "Thank you for the food! Thank you for everything." She stood and bowed before running out, "I'll see ya when I get back~!" She waved before disappearing from his doorway.

"_...you'll know..."_ He whispered softly, sipping his Saki once more before standing with the dishes.

**-x-x-x-**

**Me: A NEW CHAPTER! YAY! REJOICE, FOR THE AUTHORESS HAS RETURNED! Please read and review! Sankyu! ^_^''**


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